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No 1 (2024)
Articles
Three Years of J. Biden’s Presidency: The State of Economy and Mid-Term Forecasts
Abstract
The article aims to show trends and results of economic development of the USA during first 3 years of Joe Biden’s presidency. It is found out that the economy has mostly overcome the consequences of pandemic crises and the basic economic indicators are positive. It is shown that the US Economy is now among the strongest in the G7. The same time the level of inflation is still higher than the targeted goal of the Federal Reserve. The investment activity in many industries is also on a relatively low level According to mid-term forecasts next several years will demonstrate gradual improvement in everyday economic situation.
USA & Canada: economics, politics, culture. 2024;(1):5-17
5-17
Geopolitics
US-China Rivalry in the Middle East: Implications for Regional and Global Policies
Abstract
The recent agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to restore diplomatic relations has been a game-changer in the security dynamics of the Middle East. Notably, this agreement was negotiated under the auspices of Beijing, suggesting that China's diplomatic approach in the region might be more effective than that of the US, and could potentially shift the balance of great power leadership in this strategically vital area. This article explores the current state of US-Chinese rivalry in the region, examines the primary strategies of the US and China to increase their influence, and analyzes their current policies towards the Gulf states, including security aspects. It argues that the Middle East is becoming a crucial arena for global rivalry between the United States and China. Washington can no longer maintain the longstanding American order without considering the interests of competing powers, primarily China. The conclusion is that although the United States remains a significant external player in the Middle East, China's influence in the region is expected to grow in the coming years.
USA & Canada: economics, politics, culture. 2024;(1):18-34
18-34
USA and NATO
Shift of US Military Spending to Allies: Intensions and Realities
Abstract
The United States supports military operations in Ukraine and confronts with China, pressure allies to raise military spending to 2% of GDP, and at the same time announces a medium-term reduction of military spending in real terms. So, the US is trying to curb the huge budget deficit and public debt, "sell" more security and weapons to its allies, and avoid the degradation of its military producers. American options for reducing military spending have little budget effect, the allies can’t significantly increase military spending and purchase of American weapons due to large public debt and the interests of their military industry. America's cut-and-shift military finance will realize only under ideal conditions, although with the juggling of facts and figures they seem realistic.
USA & Canada: economics, politics, culture. 2024;(1):35-52
35-52
The USA and the Ideological Principles of NATO Policy in the Black Sea Region
Abstract
The paper examines the role of the United States of America (USA) in shaping the ideological principles of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s (NATO) policy in the Black Sea region. While NATO's cooperation programs with Black Sea countries and the clash of interests between NATO and Russia in this region have been widely discussed, less attention has been paid to the USA's contribution as NATO's leading member state to the alliance's ideological tenets in regions with high conflict potential. This analysis explores the interplay between the USA's conceptual policy framework towards the Black Sea region and its littoral states, as evaluated in the USA's National Security Strategies of 2015, 2017, and 2022, and the ideological principles of NATO's policy in the Black Sea region. A discourse analysis of official documents from both the USA and NATO is applied. The article focuses on the period since the 2014 change in the legal status of Crimea and Sevastopol, a time marked by increased USA and NATO patrols in the Black Sea and expanded NATO security cooperation with Ukraine and Georgia. The author concludes that there is a direct correlation between the USA's ideological perception of the Black Sea region as part of its European policy and NATO's ideological incorporation of the region into the Euro-Atlantic security sphere. The United States promotes ideological principles supporting the development of democratic institutions in Black Sea countries and freedom of navigation, competing with Russia for the region's transit potential. NATO's adherence to the ideological principle of protecting democratic states and supporting the USA's stance on freedom of navigation furthers the United States' interests in deepening economic, military, and political cooperation with the littoral states while maintaining its leadership role.
USA & Canada: economics, politics, culture. 2024;(1):53-66
53-66
U.S.-German Relations: Concretization of the Future
Abstract
The article analyzes the views of the political elites of Germany on relations with the United States under Joe Biden. The author substantiated the objective nature of changes in U.S. - German partnerships in the context of transformational processes in the world and the formation of alternative partnerships. Seven hypotheses are formulated in the article. One notable hypothesis is that of Germany's increasing dependence on the United States. The research is grounded on documentary sources, including the protocols of the Bundestag and Germany's National Security Strategy.
USA & Canada: economics, politics, culture. 2024;(1):67-78
67-78
Ecology
The Evolution of U.S. Republican and Democratic Party Approaches to Climate Agenda: Late 1990s to 2023
Abstract
The article focuses on analyzing the reasons behind the differing approaches of the Republican and Democratic parties to the issue of climate change. Party positions on this matter significantly influence the development of economic and energy policies in the U.S. Furthermore, the U.S.'s involvement in international efforts to combat global warming is also shaped by the power dynamics between these parties in the presidential administration and Congress. These stances directly impact other vital aspects of U.S. economy and politics, particularly in areas such as energy and Washington's role in international endeavors to achieve net-zero emissions. The climate agenda has become a significant point of contention in EU-US relations, a topic that holds particular relevance today. The findings of the study indicate an increasing partisan divide on the climate agenda, signifying deepening divisions in American society as the 2024 presidential election approaches.
USA & Canada: economics, politics, culture. 2024;(1):79-96
79-96
State and law
The Role of the U.S. Supreme Court in the Constitutional Interpretation and Law-Making
Abstract
The highest judicial authority in the United States, the Supreme Court, plays a crucial role in interpreting the Constitution and in constitutional lawmaking. A primary reason for this is the extremely succinct formulation of most of the U.S. Constitution's text. Its instrumental nature provides the Supreme Court with ample opportunities to interpret its provisions before applying them to specific legal and factual circumstances. Additionally, the Constitution's text did not address many fundamental issues of constitutional law, which its drafters and the ratifying bodies at the end of the 18th century could not have foreseen.
USA & Canada: economics, politics, culture. 2024;(1):97-112
97-112
Bookshelf
The Anatomy of Foreign Policy Crises
Abstract
Reviewed edition: H. Kissinger. "Crisis". Moscow: AST, 2023. 512 p. The book presents a retrospective analysis of the international situation and the specifics of the political decision-making process in the context of escalating military-political tensions. The publication includes declassified transcripts of telephone conversations of US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger during two crises – the 1973 Arab-Israeli War (the Yom Kippur War) and the final US withdrawal from Vietnam in 1975. A distinctive feature of the collection is its documentary-memoir character, combining the memories of a direct participant in the events described by H. Kissinger, a documentary account of what happened, illustrating the vicissitudes of two crises and an expert political assessment of the international situation and actions of the parties to the conflicts under consideration. This comprehensive approach is particularly interesting due to the fact that the author considers the events of the Arab-Israeli and Vietnamese crises in the broad context of domestic and foreign policy circumstances, as well as in the context of the global geopolitical confrontation between the United States and the USSR.
USA & Canada: economics, politics, culture. 2024;(1):113-118
113-118
Background material
The Annual Canadian Sociological Association Conference 2023. Research Cluster: Sociology of Housing
Abstract
From May 29 to June 2, 2023, the Annual Conference of the Canadian Sociological Association was held at York University in Toronto, where various academic, research, educational, and administrative topics were discussed. The conference was part of the Congress of the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences and attracted speakers and attendees from Canada and other countries. Notably, for the first time since 2003, a research cluster focusing on the sociology of housing was presented, which had been initiated within the association at the end of 2021. Participants included scientific and pedagogical professionals, students, practitioners, and independent researchers, who engaged in two sections dedicated to sociological studies of housing and homelessness. Discussions covered a range of topics including chronic homelessness among women, mobile homelessness, the risk of homelessness among youth, attitudes towards the homeless, housing conditions of different social groups, and housing precarity. Special attention was given to state housing policy and the federal 'Housing First' strategy, the outcomes of which are subject to debate. The reports presented by the Sociology of Housing Research Cluster are of great interest to researchers focusing on housing issues in liberal democratic countries, including Canada, and to sociologists interested in developing housing sociology in Russia based on international experiences.
USA & Canada: economics, politics, culture. 2024;(1):119-126
119-126
Informatsiya dlya avtorov
USA & Canada: economics, politics, culture. 2024;(1):127-128
127-128